a woman moves when her heart has been broken
by etotheswan
Summary: "Emma doesn't respond right away. She waits one beat, two beats, three, before she lifts her chin slightly - a move that is so Snow White it's hard to handle - and then says so quietly that you barely hear her over the wind, 'You should have told me.'" Takes place right after 3x21/22. Swan Queen fill in the blanks.


**A/N: I had to fix it kind of. I had to. If for no other reason than to heal. **

**a woman moves when her heart has been broken**

You look at them. Robin. Roland. Marion.

_Emma._ Your heart is breaking. Again. And it's all you can do to gather yourself and turn on your heels to exit the diner.

The air hits your face as soon as you push through the door, causing your breath to catch in your throat and your tears to feel cold as they run down your cheeks. You keep telling yourself to hold it together.

Hold it together.

For ten more minutes until you're in the sanctuary of your home. And then you can cry and yell and scream and throw something and _cry._

Ten.

More.

Minutes.

This isn't fair. How is this happening to you _again_? Why can you never find a little piece of happiness that is yours and no one else's? Why why why?

And just as you're down the steps and walking past the gate, you hear the door open again, the bell jingle and then her.

_Emma_.

Shouting at you. Shouting your name. As if it has any right being in her mouth and on her tongue.

"Regina!"

You don't stop. You keep walking. This is absolutely not something you want to talk about and especially not with her.

"Regina, _dammit_! Stop!"

You hear her running behind you, her boots hitting the cement with determination. And then she does what you were hoping she wouldn't even try. She grabs onto your wrist and pulls on you.

"Stop!" she shouts again. And as you wheel around, her blond hair is blowing in the wind and yours is whipping against your face, too, and this is _not what you wanted. _Your eyes are _dark _and hers are _green _and it's all happening. "I'm sorry!" she shouts again at you.

"Release me this _instant_," you say, pulling on your wrist. "_Now._"

"No! You have to listen to me!" she pleads; her eyes are filled with tears. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"Of course you didn't, Miss Swan. You never mean for _anything _to happen with _anyone, _do you?" You pull on your wrist again, this time reaching down and peeling her fingers off of you and practically throwing her hand back at her. Her facial expression is priceless and there's a part of you that is happy you just hurt her feelings by doing that, but there's a much larger part that is so devastated that you're back to this place with her. "Just go back to your _pirate_," you say with such hatred and jealousy. It's been so long that you almost don't recognize the _evil queen _that's reemerging.

"Regina," she whispers. Her eyes are _ridiculous_. You need her to stop looking at you like that, so you turn to continue walking away when she starts to speak again, her voice a little louder and more resolute. "I saw you, y'know. In the Enchanted Forest. As the Evil Queen."

Those words bring you to a stop. You stand facing away from her and you don't say a word. You're looking at the cement, finally being able to answer the question of when would your demons from your past finally find you?

"And you were so mean. So _mean._" Emma stops speaking again and you feel close the distance between the two of you, but you don't dare turn to face her again. "People feared you. _I _feared you. A lot. You locked me up, Regina. In a cell in a _dungeon_. And it was horrible. And Marion was down there. And… and…" Emma pauses again, her voice cracking, and it's almost enough to make you turn around, but you don't. You have to stay strong. "I'm sorry for bringing her back. It was easier than having all of that change _everything_, Regina. But I couldn't let you kill her. I just _couldn't. _And even if I wouldn't have brought her back, she would have changed everything anyway… I couldn't let you kill her. I couldn't-" You hear her take a deep breath before she says, "The idea of _you_, _this _Regina that I know, killing again, after everything… I just couldn't let that happen."

"Of course. The Savior needs to save."

"Come on," she says under her breath, a sigh, a groan and then she's moving around you so she's now standing right in front of you. "That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" you bark the question and look at her, her down turned mouth, her hands that are fidgeting.

"I mean… You're _Regina_. And she? She wasn't… But you… You were there. In her eyes. In the way she took a breath before she talked to me. In her hands and the line of your neck. You were _there_."

Everything in your body slows to an almost stop, including your heart, which would be comical considering that if you died it'd make everything so much easier. "Emma," you choke out. "You need to stop."

"I didn't mean for this to hurt you."

She reaches out and goes to touch your arm but you shrug her touch away. "You're so _simple_," you say to her. "Do you honestly think Marion is the _only_ reason that I am mad at you?"

"Well, what the hell else have I done?"

"Would you like for me to supply you with a list?" You push your hands into the pockets of your jacket and shiver. The air suddenly seems colder, dryer, crisper. "Henry, Miss Swan. _Henry._ And New York City and," you stop, tear your eyes away from hers, turn your head to look across the street, the wind blowing dust and leaves down the sidewalk. "And _Hook_."

"_Regina,_" Emma breathes. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I trusted you," you push out through clenched teeth. "I _trusted_ you, Miss Swan. So, please turn yourself around and go back inside. I'm sure everyone is worried about you chasing after the Evil Queen."

"No."

You look at her, set your jaw, and raise an eyebrow at her. "I do not wish to speak to you right now. _Please_." Your words were meant to come out more forceful and regal, but really you just sound like you're begging her. It's beneath you, but after everything she's said, you have nothing inside of you that cares.

Emma doesn't respond right away. She waits one beat, two beats, three, before she lifts her chin slightly - a move that is so _Snow White_ it's hard to handle - and then says so quietly that you barely hear her over the wind, "You should have told me."

"About what?" you ask with a sigh and trying to cover your words with contempt, for which you fail miserably.

"Hook. You should have told me."

"I did," you respond, a small smile playing at your lips. "'Yearning looks and doe eyes,' Miss Swan. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

You see the words cross over her face and the memory take over. Her eyes lighten, her mouth parts and then before she can say another word, you step around her.

And yes, a Queen never moves for anyone. Not even a savior.

But this time?

A _woman _moves when her heart has been broken. In more ways than one.


End file.
